Peace of mind for cyclists

Peace of mind for cyclists

Phil Bergen, left, a member of the Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee, joins BikeFit co-owner Rick Rikkerink and CAA Niagara president Pat Nielsen at the launch of the new Bike Assist program outside of the BikeFit store in St. Catharines on May 19.

Niagara residents getting that sick feeling in their guts each time they pull up to the gas pumps and glance at the current price per litre now have the option of leaving the gas guzzler behind and heading out on their bicycles with more peace of mind.

That’s because CAA Niagara, which provides roadside assistance to drivers who get flat tires, who get stuck in the snow or whose batteries have died, has expanded its program to include bikes.

CAA members who get a flat on their bike or whose chain breaks or comes off can now call the auto club, and a CAA driver will either drive them home or drive them and their bike to a bicycle repair shop of their choice.

The coverage is the same as it is for cars: 24 hours a day, with a 10-kilometre limit for basic memberships or 250 kilometres for ‘plus’ memberships.

CAA Niagara vice-president Rick Mauro said it became evident there was need of such coverage last summer, when cyclists from the Greater Toronto Area took the weekend GO Train service into Niagara.

“That was something we noticed last year,” he said. “There were some people calling and asking for assistance.”

So CAA started installing bike racks on its light pickup trucks, and officially rolled out its new Bike Assist program at the BikeFit store on Scott Street in St. Catharines on May 19.

“It’s a new era in roadside assistance,” said Mauro, who noted that in a recent survey about 30 per cent of Canadians said they’d consider switching to a bike for their daily commute.

“It’s a natural extension of what CAA does,” he said of the new Bike Assist program. “It’s important for us to recognize the changing transportation needs of our members.”

CAA Niagara president Pat Nielsen said Bike Assist is also a good fit with a growing desire among Canadians for more eco-friendly ways to get around.

“Whether you’re an avid cyclist who commutes to work to save money on gas, or a casual biker who runs into trouble on the trail, CAA now has all your wheels covered,” she said.

Under the program, if someone gets a flat on their bike on a trail, they would be picked up at the nearest regular road access. Niagara residents who run into a problem while cycling can also use their CAA membership to get bike assist in many other regions of southern Ontario, and as far away as Manitoba and British Columbia, said Mauro.

Likewise, the GTA cyclists coming to Niagara for the summer weekend GO train service that starts this weekend can also tap into Bike Assist here, he said.

Phil Bergen, a member of the Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee, said promoting the use of bikes instead of cars can help to address soaring obesity rates, and could end up saving property taxpayers a good chunk of money. That’s because reducing congestion could mean delaying costly road projects such as rebuilding roads pummelled by cars, and adding extra lanes to handle increasing traffic levels, he said.